If you or a loved one has been arrested, it may feel as if your life has been upended. And if this is your first encounter with the criminal justice system, the sudden rush of rules and regulations can be confusing. To help clarify things, let’s have a look at how travel restrictions work within … Continued
If you or a loved one has been arrested and charged with a crime, it can be a stressful and confusing time. But not all defendants are required to await trial in jail. Some are granted pretrial house arrest and are permitted to await trial at home—under certain restrictions and while monitored by an electronic … Continued
In the U.S. criminal justice system, cases may be presented either before a judge and jury (jury trial) or before a judge or magistrate alone (bench trial). If you are charged with a criminal offense, you (as the defendant) have the option of choosing a jury or bench trial. The systems differ in a few … Continued
Being arrested and charged with a crime can be a difficult time, both for defendants and their families. If this is your first encounter with the criminal justice system, you’ll likely have many questions about your case, the charges facing you, and how to proceed. After being arrested, you may want to enlist the services … Continued
If you’re not familiar with the criminal justice system, the process of jury selection may seem somewhat confusing. Serving as a juror in America is both a duty and an essential part of the way our justice system operates. Let’s take a closer look at how jurors are selected. Juror Selection Potential jurors are selected … Continued
Like drunk driving, operating a boat while intoxicated can result in significant property loss, injury, and even death. So most states have strict laws to discourage impaired persons from operating watercraft. Let’s look at how these laws work to protect Georgia’s waterways—and what they mean for defendants. Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Basics In Georgia, … Continued
While there is no specific “right to privacy” defined within the U.S. Constitution, both state and federal laws do include several protections for what is termed “privileged” conversations or communications, governing what can (and cannot) be divulged in court. Here, we’ll take a look at what types of relationships can be deemed “privileged,” what that … Continued
If you’ve ever been present at a court trial or have seen court dramas on TV, you’ve likely heard the terms “hearsay” or “hearsay evidence.“ But what exactly does the term mean, when is it used, and what exceptions exist to the hearsay rule? What is “Hearsay Evidence”? When a witness testifies in court, they … Continued
Most of us have watched enough TV crime dramas to be familiar with the scene in which a recent arrestee asks for his “one phone call.” While this convenient plot device for scriptwriters has become something of a Hollywood cliché, it doesn’t accurately reflect the workings of the jail system in every case. So let’s … Continued
In the U.S. criminal justice system, building a case against a criminal defendant requires the gathering of physical evidence (such as a weapon or stolen property discovered in the defendant’s possession), forensic evidence (such as fingerprints or DNA that would link the defendant to the crime), and face-to-face questioning of witnesses and potential suspects. Law … Continued
